1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shoe accessory, more particularly to a shoelace fastener for maintaining a tightened state of a shoe.
2. Description of the Related Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,438, there is disclosed a double-bow shoelace device that is adapted to be mounted on a shoe and that includes a shoelace, a clamp member, and an assembly of two loops and a decorative knot. The shoelace has a first lace segment that is strung on the shoe, and a second lace segment that includes first and second lace portions, each of which has a lower end connected to the first lace segment. The clamp member is sleeved slidably on at least one of the lace portions, and includes an elongate casing, a clamping block slidably received in the casing, and a biasing member disposed in the casing for biasing the clamping block to a lace clamping position. Downward and upward movements of the clamp member along at least one of the lace portions result in tightening and loosening of the shoe. The assembly is disposed on and externally of the clamp member.
Although the aforesaid shoelace device serves the purpose of tightening and loosening of the shoe, there are some drawbacks associated therewith. Particularly, because the clamping block of the clamp member must be forced inwardly into the casing against the biasing action of the biasing member when it is desired to loosen the shoe, the overall size of the clamp member must be large enough for the fingers of the user to press the clamping block and the clamp member toward each other. The relatively large clamp member has an adverse affect on the appearance of the shoe. It is also noted that the assembly of the loops and the knot on the clamp member is merely for decorative purposes, and does not have any practical function associated therewith.
FIG. 1 illustrates another conventional shoelace fastener 3 for a shoelace 4 having a pair of distal lace portions 402. The fastener 3 includes a plate body formed with an inner pair of lace entry holes 301 and an outer pair of lace exit holes 302. Two resilient clamp members 303 extend integrally from the plate body into the lace exit holes 302, respectively. In use, the distal lace portions 402 are first extended through the lace entry holes 301 and are subsequently extended through the lace exit holes 302. The clamp members 303 clamp the distal lace portions 402 against the plate body of the fastener 3. Although the aforesaid shoelace fastener 3 also serves the purpose of tightening and loosening of a shoe (not shown), there are still some drawbacks associated therewith. Particularly, since the fastener 3 must be pulled upwardly when it is desired to loosen the shoe, the lack of a pull component on the fastener 3 makes it difficult to conduct the pulling operation. Moreover, the size of the fastener 3 must be relatively large in order to facilitate upward pulling of the same.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a shoelace fastener that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided a shoelace fastener for a shoe that includes a shoe body with a pair of eyelet tabs, and a shoelace strung on the eyelet tabs and having a pair of distal lace segments. The shoelace fastener comprises first and second fastener bodies, a pivot axle, a pair of clamping pins, and a pull unit.
The first and second fastener bodies are disposed side by side in a first direction. Each of the first and second fastener bodies is formed with a through hole that has a hole axis transverse to the first direction. Each of the first and second fastener bodies further has inner and outer frame portions respectively proximate to and distal from the other of the first and second fastener bodies.
The pivot axle extends in a second direction transverse to the first direction and the hole axes, and pivotally interconnects the inner frame portions of the first and second fastener bodies.
Each of the clamping pins is movably retained on a respective one of the first and second fastener bodies, extends in the second direction, is movable along the first direction between the inner and outer frame portions of the respective one of the first and second fastener bodies, and partitions the through hole in the respective one of the first and second fastener bodies into a lace entry side proximate to the inner frame portion, and a lace exit side proximate to the outer frame portion.
The pull unit is secured on and is disposed externally of the first and second fastener bodies.
In use, each of the distal lace segments is extendable through the lace entry side of the through hole in a respective one of the first and second fastener bodies, over the clamping pin of the respective one of the first and second fastener bodies, and into the lace exit side of the through hole in the respective one of the first and second fastener bodies. Tension applied by the eyelet tabs upon the shoelace forces the clamping pins to clamp the distal lace segments respectively against the outer frame portions of the first and second fastener bodies for maintaining a tightened state of the shoe. A manual pulling force applied on the first and second fastener bodies through the pull unit results in relative pivoting movement between the first and second fastener bodies and in movement of at least one of the clamping pins toward the inner frame portion of the respective one of the first and second fastener bodies to permit sliding movement of at least one of the distal lace segments for loosening the shoe accordingly.